Oppland and Hedmark
Central southern Norway, comprising Oppland and Hedmark, is a land of mountains, spectacular glacial valleys, including Gudbrandsdal (one of Norway’s longest and most beautiful), and high plateaux.
Lightly populated throughout, apart from the larger centres of Elverum, Hamar, Kongsvinger and Lillehammer (site of the 1994 Winter Olympics), this is a region of small settlements suitable for those seeking solitude and wilderness – or winter sports facilities. Kongsvinger’s Festning (fortress) dates from the 17th century, but never came under Swedish attack. To the north is the Dovrefjell National Park – mythical home of the Mountain King (Dovregubben) immortalised by Grieg, and where musk oxen are occasionally spotted roaming wild on the high plateau.
The country’s biggest skiing and winter sports centre, offering both Alpine and Nordic disciplines, Lillehammer stands on the banks of the Mjsa Lake, Norway’s largest with an area of 362 sq km (140 sq miles), and which reputedly conceals a ‘Loch Ness’ monster. Among non-winter-specific attractions in the town are the Norwegian Olympic Museum, the Maihaugen Open Air Museum (which features a collection of over 170 historic buildings from the Gudbrandsdal area), and the Art Museum, with its extensive Norwegian collections.
At the northern end of the Mjsa Lake, Hamar contains the Hedmark Museum, dedicated to the medieval period. There is also a Museum of Holography, unique in Norway, and the Olympic Hall, which staged skating events during the 1994 Winter Olympics. The Cathedral, restored in 1954, has origins dating back to the 11th century dawn of Norwegian Christianity.
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